


For This Wide-Eyed Wanderer

by Bofur1



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Campfires, Drawing, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Family Bonding, Fluff and Feels, Gen, Road Trips, Singing, Sleepy Cuddles, Stargazing, Traveling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 00:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nori finally, <em>finally<em> takes Ori on a road trip as he's always promised.</em></em></p>
            </blockquote>





	For This Wide-Eyed Wanderer

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo I am challenging myself here to write a story that has pretty much NOTHING angsty in it. Whoo, that's HARD for me. So please read and I'd really appreciate it if you told me afterwards how I did!! :D
> 
> Oh, I also apologize ahead of time for my Lion King reference, I just couldn't resist. :P

“Well, Ori, it’s about time I headed out,” Nori announced solemnly as he stood up from the breakfast table. “I’ve got special plans for my latest roam.”

Ori’s face, having been lit with contentment in Nori’s long-forgone company, suddenly dimmed. “Oh,” he murmured disappointedly. “How soon do you think you’ll be back?”

Nori paused. “Don’t know. I’ll probably be walking a little slower than usual, wot with two packs to carry...”

Ori was confused. “Two? Whose—?”

Nori couldn’t stay serious any longer and a gigantic smile took over his face. “Why, yours, little brother! You’re comin’ with me!”

Ori stood dumbstruck for a second before scrambling out of his chair to tackle Nori in a gleeful hug. “Oh, thank you, thank you, _thank you_ , Nori!” He began running around in circles, unable to think straight in his excitement. “I—I don’t know what to bring, I wasn’t expecting this at all—!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve packed all your stuff.” Nori wrinkled his nose in the secretive fashion of younger brothers. “Of course Dori had to oversee everything, the fusspot. Practically tore everything apart rearrangin’ it all.”

“So he’s alright with it?”

“Of course,” Nori assured him, deciding that Ori had no need to know about the certain... _bribes_ he’d offered Dori for the sake of this trip.

“Let’s go, then!” Ori urged, grabbing Nori’s hand. “C’mon, right now! Oh, did you pack my sketchbook? There are interesting things along the road, aren’t there? Well, of course there are, so you know I need it. Hurry, please, Nori, I want to make good headway before dark!”

“Ori. First of all, it’s morning. Second of all, you’re thinking like Mr. Fussy,” Nori scolded as Ori pushed him toward the two packs by the front door. “These trips I take—they’re _wanderings_. We don’t have to measure each step we take. We just...stroll. Enjoy the scenery. Listen to the birds.”

“Okay,” Ori agreed. His eyes shone as he exclaimed again, “Thank you for this, Nori! You won’t regret it, I promise!”

 _As if I_ _could_ ever _regret being with you,_ Nori thought to himself. However, he didn’t want to sound oversentimental and therefore settled for ruffling Ori’s hair.

+++

“Oh, poo,” Ori grumbled to his sketchbook.

Nori looked up curiously. “Somethin’ wrong?”

“I’m losing the light,” Ori sighed, frowning at the sky. “I wasn’t quite finished with my drawing yet.”

“There’ll be another sunset tomorrow,” Nori reminded him.

Ori quirked an eyebrow. “Who said I’m drawing the sunset? I was actually drawing you. Just a second ago before the sun went behind that mountain your hair was glowing. It looked nice.”

Nori’s cheeks began to glow also at his brother’s words, but he ducked his eyes to the firewood so Ori wouldn’t notice.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you, Nori,” Ori added apologetically as he watched his brother fiddle with the firewood. “I’ve never been on a—a ‘roam’ before, so I don’t know much about it.”

“Aw, it’s nothin’ to me,” Nori assured him. “You just sit there and make yourself comfortable.”

After another awkward silence Ori piped up, “I thought it was interesting, how you caught those birds in that trap earlier.”

“Thanks, kid. Like I said, it’s nothin’. If you start wanderin’ more often, it’ll come to you too.”

“Well...” Ori looked rather uncomfortable. “I don’t know if Dori would let me.”

“He doesn’t control you,” Nori declared, his tone a tad harsher than he’d wanted. Fortunately, Ori knew it wasn’t directed at him.

“But he takes care of me,” Ori ventured. “It seems kind of unkind to just leave him all alone.”

“I did it. I’ve done it my whole life.”

Ori didn’t know how to respond to that. Therefore he sat quietly, watching Nori work his flint until the wood caught fire.

After a filling supper, Nori tilted his head back, peering intently upwards into the fully-fallen night. Ori tentatively scooted next to him, asking, “Are you stargazing, Nori?”

“Yep. There—” Nori pointed. “That’s Nahar, the horse of Oromë the Hunter.”

“I’ll bet Lord Mahal modeled you after him,” Ori declared. “You’re very good at hunting.”

Nori laughed, a deep sound in the back of his throat. “I survive, at least.”

Ori squinted slightly before he gave a little gasp and gripped Nori’s arm. “Is that a shooting star?”

“Shooting stars, you know what they are?” At the shake of Ori’s head Nori concluded, “They aren’t really stars. They’re actually sparks from the Maker’s Hammer.”

“He’s always hammering, isn’t he?” Ori’s eyes trailed after the star’s course.

“Aye.” Nori continued to point out different constellations until Ori wearied. With a yawn, he shifted until he was leaning into Nori’s side. Without a second thought, Nori slipped an arm around Ori’s shoulders.

“Will you sing something?” Ori requested in a drowsy whisper.

Nori paused for a few moments before he finally nodded wordless consent. Clearing his throat, Nori began softly, his eyes never leaving the small form tucked against him.

“There's a calm surrender to the rush of day, when the heat of a rolling wind can be turned away. An enchanted moment, and it sees me through; it's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you...”

Nori didn’t have to go on long; his brother was asleep before he could reach the fourth verse. Nori took a deep breath and lay back with Ori on the grass. Warmed by the presence next to him, Nori too began to drift off. He managed to murmur one last thing to Mahal before he did:

“Don’t let him grow up too quickly, please...”


End file.
